We look forward to welcoming all AUA attendees at the 2024 AUA History Exhibit, Onward and Upward, Celebrating Black Urologists in America at Booth #330 in the Science and Technology Exhibit Hall in San Antonio, curated by Arthur (Bud) Burnett, MD and a curatorial team.
The legacy of Black urologists in America is a vital, pivotal History. It is critical to know the past, to be aware and knowledgeable of the present, and to prepare, to assist, and to lead in the development of the future. We must acknowledge the past in order to improve the future. The history of urology reflects the history of medicine and, in many ways, the history of the United States, where we still confront racism and its legacy of dehumanization, invisibility, and silencing of Black Americans.
The Black experience in medicine and urology has been and still is marked by major challenges, especially in terms of representation. There has been no statistically significant increase in the representation of Black physicians in the United States since 1900. Accounting for changes in the US population, Black Americans only made up little more than 2% of all American physicians after 1965. In the United States, there are approximately 4.21 urologists per 100,000 population. If a Black person wishes to be cared for by a urologist of the same racial background, it is a challenge, as there is only 1 Black urologist for every 140,000 Black Americans. According to the 2022 AUA Census, of the 13,976 practicing urologists in the United States, only an estimated 293 (2.2%) are Black.
We have an informative series of talks at the History Exhibit booth planned, so be sure to stop by to listen and pick up a complimentary copy of the exhibit book:
Friday, May 3, 2024
| 10:00 a.m. | Bud Burnett, MD: Evolution of Black Physicians in Medicine |
| 12:00 p.m. | Pamela Coleman, MD: Howard Training Program for Early Black Urologists |
| 1:00 p.m. | History Forum (Room 206, Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center) |
Saturday, May 4, 2024
| 10:00 a.m. | Tracy Downs, MD: Nontraditional Pathways of Leadership |
| 12:00 p.m. | Linda McIntire, MD: Origins of the R. Frank Jones Urological Society |
| 1:00 p.m. | Uzoma Anele, MD: Black Excellence in Urology Academia |
| 4:00 p.m. | Jennifer Gordetsky, MD: Lies, Damn Lies and Medical History Game |
Sunday, May 5, 2024
| 10:00 a.m. | Brian McNeil, MD: Black Leadership in Urology |
| 11:00 a.m. | Denise Asafu-Adjei, MD: Microaggressions |
| 12:00 p.m. | Ronald Rabinowitz, MD: Black Explorers of North America – Who Knew? |
| 2:00 p.m. | Jennifer Gordetsky, MD: Lies, Damn Lies and Medical History Game |
The 2024 AUA Forum on the History of Urology on Friday, May 3 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 206 @ Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center, features 14 Posters and 21 Podium presentations on aspects of medical history. This 4-hour program kicks off with a Medical Ethics Debate on Can A.I. define “Truth”? with debaters Mack Roach, MD and Elodi Dielubanza, MD.
The Bicknell Lecture at 3 p.m. will be given by Arthur (Bud) Burnett, MD on The Legacy of Black Urologists in America.
The 2023 AUA Earl Nation Retrospectroscope Award from last year’s History Forum presentations will be awarded to Elizabeth Ellis, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, for her presentation and paper on A Knight's Thrust: Was the Use of a Codpiece for Protection or for Exertion of Masculinity? And its Reemergence in Modern Times.
Thomas Oskinski, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, will receive the 2023 Honorable Mention for his presentation and paper on Refurbishing a Rusty Cystoscope into the Retrospectroscope Award.
The 2024 William P. Didusch Art and History Award goes to Jennifer Gordetsky, MD, Medical Director of Anatomic Pathology and Surgical Pathology and Professor of Pathology and Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has supported the William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History since 2008 and has been a valued member of the AUA History Committee since 2019.
Ronald Rabinowitz, MD
Historian, American Urological Association
John Phillips, MD
Historian-Elect, American Urological Association